


Braided

by dot823



Category: Dangan Ronpa - All Media Types, Super Dangan Ronpa 2
Genre: F/M, Fantasy, Peko was abused much like Rapunzel was, Tangled AU
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-05-01
Updated: 2019-08-23
Packaged: 2020-02-10 15:20:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 7,707
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18663058
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dot823/pseuds/dot823
Summary: Nearly 18 years ago, a beloved newborn princess was kidnapped, taken away from her kingdom and her parents. Every year on her birthday her kingdom holds a celebration in her honor, filling the sky with gorgeous paper lanterns that can be seen not only across their entire kingdom, but from the land surrounding it as well. They hope that she is watching and that she knows she is loved, wherever she is.In a neighboring kingdom, a young prince less than two months shy of 18 years old discovers his father's secret, a tower on the outskirts of their kingdom and a girl locked inside.





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> So @thewildwilds wrote a Tangled Au fic(also titled braided) a while back and while on a kuzupeko binge and going through all 80 pages of their kuzupeko tag I found it, and couldn't stop thinking about it. So here it is. I'm taking inspiration from Tangled as well as Barbie As Rapunzel because I just really love Barbie classics and nobody can stop me. It'll probably take a while to get the whole thing out, as I haven't written anything longer than two chapters in like five decades but it's okay I got this.

Once upon a time there were hundreds of small kingdoms, many simply the size of a large city and the lands surrounding it. Wars were uncommon, the rulers maintaining peace as they traded with other nations. Tranquility is fragile, though, and a single family that wished to break the calm could do so easily. As time passed and the younger generations became the older, tensions began to rise. Royals grew armies, and the armies battled against each other until a clear winner could take the land, and the process would repeat and repeat, until only a handful of countries of various sizes remained. This tale centers around the story of two such kingdoms.

The first kingdom was run by the fearsome Kuzuryuu clan, an empire of iron and steel which shut down rebellions and revolutions with the ease of their fiercely trained warriors. The emperor was known for his strength and cruelty, and despite how much land he had taken and how large he and his ancestors had grown his empire, he still thirsted for more. 

The royal family was made of the emperor and his wife, who ran her household with the same iron fist with which he ran the country, and a pair of children born in quick succession. Fuyuhiko, the eldest and the heir to the throne, had a sweet, childlike face even as puberty hit him. A sprinkling of freckles over his cheeks, and eyes that could not choose between green and gold. If he were silent you might assume that he was kindhearted and soft, but he was his parents’ son and his temper and merciless words quickly proved that he would rule the empire with a heavy hand just as his father before him. Though he was the oldest by nearly a year, those who did not know would think of him as the youngest child. Second born was a daughter, the princess Natsumi, who used her title and her family’s reputation to the full extent. She could get whatever she pleased from whoever she wanted, and not a single person, no matter if they were a servant, a noble, or a simple townsperson, ever dared deny her. Though she did not have the same baby face as her brother(and she absolutely loved teasing him about it), the two of them did share some things in common. Her cheeks often had a delicate blush on them, but the sweet exterior befitting of a princess hid her cruel temperament only as long as her mouth stayed closed. 

It was not all that odd, that they both looked like gentle souls; even in old texts, dated back to their 5-great grandfather who’d taken the land of their original kingdom by force, the clan had been described as having appearances that seemed to mirror the sun; pretty faces and blond hair and hazel eyes which thinly veiled their brutal personalities. Old poetry written by bitter bards of lands they’d taken over would speak of the clan in code, writing pieces about how the sun could burn entire kingdoms, if the people weren’t careful to protect themselves against it. 

  
  


The second kingdom was a smaller, mountainous region, ruled by the Pekoyama family. The king and queen were, on many accounts, the opposite of the Kuzuryuu's. They were not driven to conquest foreign territories, nor were they the leader of large armies of bloodthirsty soldiers. Assuming that they were weak, however, was a mistake that many enemy forces had made in the past. Their military was smaller, but just as competent due to them being trained to remain hidden and attack from shadows. This worked well for the royal family’s goals; the couple worked together as equals to keep their nation protected. No matter how brutal the onslaught, they would not fall. 

In regards to their appearance, the couple was often compared to the night. The king had black hair and dark eyes, his features were strong and he was covered in scars from when he had fought alongside his people against invaders. The queen had the same dark hair, but she was most easily recognized by her eyes; they were angular and intense, the iris a bright red.

The royal family had not been successful in most of their attempts to have a child. The queen had been pregnant a handful of times, but could not seem to carry a child to term. The last time they tried was the only success, and she’d nearly died in the process. One popular rumor amongst those that lived close to the palace was that she wouldn’t have made it, except that the king had managed to find a mystical healing flower which only bloomed during the full moon and used it to heal her. The rumor only grew stronger when she’d given birth to a beautiful daughter with a full head of gray hair.

It was with a heavy heart, a month after her birth, that they had to announce that she’d been kidnapped. They were broken hearted, no one understood how it had happened and there was no concrete evidence on who had taken her, but the king had his theories. He and his wife dreamt of one day finding her and bringing those responsible to justice, but if his theory was correct and another, stronger, kingdom had taken her away from them in order to hurt their morale, they could not afford to put their nation on the line. All they could do was hold a memorial every year; hundreds, if not thousands, of paper lanterns were released into the sky on the night of their daughter’s birthday with the hope that somewhere, she would see the lanterns.   



	2. The Young Master

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Peko has been training her whole life so that on the day of the prince's 18th birthday, she could be presented as a gift for him, a tool and a protector for the rest of his life. When he finds her a month and a half early, she discovers he is nothing like what she thought.

The story begins the day before Peko’s 18th birthday. She had been training with her sword when she heard a voice telling her to let down her hair. It was the same nearly every day since her hair grew long enough to make his trek up the tower easier; she would let her hair down, he would climb up, and she would bow before him and present what she had been working on. Then he would train with her for a little while, give his orders on what she must do before the next day, and she would bow again before he used her hair to climb down. When the call comes once again, she does not consider any possibility outside of the ordinary; no one else knows her location, or even of her existence, so it can only be him. It was strange, he usually only visited in the early morning and he had already done his visit for the day, but she assumed he simply forgot something he needed to tell her. So she lets her braided hair down, using the hook he had placed at the top of the window, and balanced herself, pulling to ensure her hair did not tug too heavily on her head. The load feels lighter than she remembers, but she simply assumes that she is stronger than she thought, or that her memory is lying to her. It couldn’t possibly be anybody else.

Then he reaches the window, steps into it, and she is already kneeling with her eyes on the ground.

“Master, I did n-” She’s cut off.

“What the FUCK?” He screams, voice a higher pitch than she remembers.

She looks up, stunned into silence, and finds that the man who’d climbed into her tower was not Master. He was quite a bit shorter, face rounder and a splash of freckles covered his cheeks. His eyes were the same color as Master’s, hair only a shade lighter, and she understood quickly that the boy before her must be the prince. It took her a minute to think of what to say, despite how often she’d thought of the words before. In all her fantasies, they’d met on his 18th birthday, she’d vowed her allegiance to him and he would thank his father for the wonderful gift and he’d ask to see her training and he’d be impressed by it and keep her by his side like a favorite knife. 

“I-I apologize, I wasn-” She began again, stuttering from the nerves. Before she could finish he started screaming again.

“YOU’RE who my dad’s been running off to see every goddamn day? Who the fuck even are you?” He questions, but doesn’t pause to hear her answer, “He fucking disappears for like three hours a day and it’s to visit some girl locked in a fucking tower? What sort of sick fucking joke is this?!”

“Master Kuzuryuu has been training me,” she manages to get out as he takes a deep breath, “Please do not be too upset, I was meant to be a present for your bi-”

“You were meant to be WHAT?” he scoffs, “That’s even more disgusting, what the fuck is wrong with him? How long’s he kept you holed up in here?”

“I have been training in this tower my whole life,” she starts, and when he scoffs but doesn’t say more, she continues, “He chose me when I was an infant, I am meant to protect you.”

“ _ Protect _ me? Like a fucking babysitter? I don’t need protection, I’m practically a goddamn adult and I’ve been doing pretty fucking fine without this little  _ gift  _ of his!” He was scowling down at her as he spoke, face growing redder and redder by the minute until he turned and kicked a pot that was to the side of the window. 

When the pot fell over and shattered into pieces, he stomped over the shards towards a rack of swords and spears. Peko got up as quickly as she could, following behind him out of fear that he’d try to use one, or hurt himself on any of the countless sharp edges.

“Young master, please don-” before she could finish the thought, the rack crashed to the ground, blades clattering as they went in all directions.

“DON’T fucking call me that,” his tone was sharp, “I’m not your fucking MASTER.”

“But that is what Master sai-”

“Don’t listen to him, then! He’s just an old gross fucking PRICK who locks girls in fucking towers!” He insisted, storming over towards her bed, “How many fucking weapons do you even need? This stupid place looks like a goddamn military storeroom!” 

“I have trained with each weapon in the tower until I could use them expertly, it is easier to keep them here so I may keep my skills sharp,” she explained, still following after him.

“What does he fucking think you are, the entire goddamn military? We’ve got warriors, you know. More fucking soldiers than any other goddamn kingdom and he’s still fucking forcing little girls to train with--” he picked up a battle ax at random, scowling at it like it had threatened his honor, “what, fucking battle axes? When the fuck are you going to need a battle ax?”

“If we are on a trip and they take my swords away, I may have to disarm a threat and use their weapons against them,” she helpfully provided the explanation she’d been given her whole life.

The prince dropped the ax, letting it fall dangerously close to his feet, and she swooped in and grabbed it by the handle before it could hit the floor. 

“Please, young master, be careful,” she insisted. 

“I FUCKING said don’t CALL ME THAT,” he screamed, stomping over towards her bed. He grabbed a chair that was placed nearby and threw it onto the ground, unable to calm himself down. 

“I apologize, but please you need to stop, you’re going to-”

“Stop fucking apologizing! Just-- _ UGH _ ,” he dropped the remnants of the chair, storming back towards the window, “I’m going to fucking give him a piece of my mind, I’m not getting a  _ person _ as a fucking present.”

“But I’ve trained as your tool my whole life,” she was a little panicked, the prince was not the kind man she’d thought he might be, or a strict ruler like his father…but no matter what, she’d vowed to protect him. She could not break that promise, she did not wish to break it.

He turned back to look at her for a second, and another emotion crossed his face. He looked...something like tired or sad. It wasn’t like anything she’d seen before so she couldn’t quite place it and before she had the chance the emotion was replaced with more anger as he snapped at her, “You’re not a fucking tool!”

He sat on the window sill, swinging one leg over it, and Peko reached forward, grabbing his wrist before he could swing around fully. He pulled away, swatting at her hand.

“Please, don’t jump--you need to use my hair,” she explained, eyes wide as she stared at him. A moment later, she remembered her place and bowed her head, “Please allow me to help you, young--sir.” 

Scoffing, he crossed his arms over his chest, “I don’t need you to fucking tell me what I can and can’t do. He hired you to babysit me? Well, then I…” He turned to look out the window, at the ground looming much too far below them. His voice faded away as he looked, until he eventually looked back at her, “Alright, fine, you can help me. But you still aren’t the goddamn boss of me, or my tool, or my stupid fucking babysitter.”

With that, she prepared her hair, taking his hand and wrapping one of the braids around it a few times. As she did, she explained how his father would propel his way down, and then she got into position, holding her hair so that it wouldn’t pull at her head as he slowly started making his way down. Once the weight was off, she glanced down and saw him starting to walk away. She couldn’t just let him leave, though...not with all the dangers that lurked in the forest, just waiting to get to the prince of the Kuzuryuu empire. Bandits, assassins...not to mention bears, or a tree could fall on him, or a rock, or…

She didn’t spend another second thinking about it, pulling her hair up just enough. She grabbed the nearest sword, her favorite of the weapons she’d been trained in, and prepared to leave her tower for the first time. She swung herself to the outside, bracing herself against the wall as she looked into the only home she’d ever known. With a deep breath she said goodbye, unsure if she would ever be able to return. She dropped herself down bit by bit, the sound drawing his attention enough for him to turn back, watching with a look of bewilderment. 

The moment she was low enough, she steadied herself on the grass, pulling her hair so the braids came down, making a soft thump as they gathered on the ground around her. She expected him to say something in return, but he remained silent, so she spoke instead.

“I am coming with. I cannot risk you getting hurt on the way back,” she explained, stepping towards him. 


	3. The Adventure Begins

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Peko follows her young master into the forest, protecting him on his trek back to the palace. He decides to get to know his tool, asking questions of varying relevance as they walk.

At first, he’d gotten upset, yelled at her to get back up there, said he didn’t need a nanny and called her names and called his father names. He lost steam when she did not retaliate, nor did she back down. Besides, she explained to him, she couldn’t get back up there even if she wanted to. If there was another way in, she did not know of it. He threw his hands up then, turning away and stomping towards the path that led away from her tower. 

“Fine! Do whatever you fucking want, you’re free now, and I won’t tell my dad. Just run the fuck off, get away from here or something! But don’t follow me just because of some goddamn stupid  _ vow _ you apparently made when you were too goddamn young to know what the fuck it meant!” 

“I will not,” she agreed. She was not following him because of a vow she was forced to make, it was a vow she wanted to make and wanted to keep, one she would choose to uphold no matter the risk. She could not back down on it, she would not betray her master. 

So, she followed behind him, not saying another word unless he spoke first. He kept looking back, glaring, telling her to fuck off, but she kept insisting that he’d said to do whatever she wanted. Other than those quick bursts of conversation, the first hour was silent. Not awkwardly so, for her, at least; she had been taught that she could not expect her master to wish to speak to his tool whenever they were together. She could not expect her master to speak to her at all, unless it was to give her a command, and so she did not mind the silence. 

At one point, they’d heard rustling in a bush ahead of them. He didn’t seem to react, but her instincts drove her forward. She ran in front of him, holding one arm out to keep him behind her as he collided with her back.

“What  _ the FUCK _ are you-” 

“ _ Quiet _ ,” She interrupted him curtly, the difference in her tone stunning him into silence, “There’s danger in the bush.”

A second later, as if on command, a rabbit hopped out. The prince remained silent for a few seconds before bursting out laughing, scaring the rabbit off. One of his hands went to her shoulder while the other arm wrapped around his waist. He was nearly bent over, and though he was laughing at her, the first thing she thought was that his laughter sounded sweeter than she had thought it would when she heard his yelling.

“Danger, huh? Yeah, that rabbit REALLY fucking had it out for me,” he kept laughing, until she turned to face him. Something about her frown made him sober up, “...what? It was funny. You really went full out fucking nuts because of a RABBIT. They don’t even eat meat.”

“I...apologize,” she started lowering herself to one knee, head bowed, “I am not as prepared as I had thought.”

“Oh come on, not this fucking bullshit again…” he huffed, but despite his words his voice didn’t hold the same stinging anger as it had earlier, “Get up, you don’t have to do that in the middle of the goddamn forest. It’s just embarrassing. Just...don’t go all weird fierce babysitter at any fucking sign of life outside of us, okay?”

She stood, but her head remained bowed, “I apologize. I will attempt to better assess situations in the future. I thought...I was taught to take any potential threat seriously, no matter how small.”

He sighed, moving past her to continue on the route, “Of course. He keeps you locked up in there and makes you think goddamn rabbits are out to kill me. It really isn’t that deep. Don’t say you’re sorry again, just...if you’re going to follow me around like this, you can’t be threatening anything in a bush with a goddamn sword.”

She nodded, waiting a moment before starting to walk several feet behind him again, “I understand. I will do better.” 

After that, he’d sometimes slow down a bit so they were nearly beside each other, hands shoved in his pockets as he spoke. He’d ask strange questions, some things she’d rehearsed while others seemed unimportant.

“What’s your name?” He asked first, “You do have one, right?”  
She nodded, “I am Peko.”

He nodded back at her, “I’m Fuyuhiko. I guess nice to meet you, or something?”

Of course she already knew the name of her young master, but to be polite she did not mention that. “It’s lovely to meet you, as well.”

They went back to silence and she let herself fall back a few steps so that she was the appropriate distance behind him until he thought of another question. He would slow himself down and glance back, waiting for her to catch up to him again before speaking.

“So...did you ever get any toys? Like when you were young?” He’d ask, and she’d have to pause for a moment as she thought back on her childhood.

“No, they were not necessary for my training,” she’d answer, which somehow was not the correct answer, despite it being the truth. He’d scowl and stare at the ground as they walked forward, and she’d glance at him and see that he was still frowning a few minutes later. 

Some time would pass before he’d look at her again, ask another question.

“Did he...ever explain? Why it had to be you?” 

“I have unique qualifications, special skills that make me the best candidate. As soon as he saw me, he knew that I would become your sword and shield.” Those questions she liked best, the ones that had preset answers she’d been taught from childhood. He nodded at that, but he also huffed, so it seemed he was still not content with the answer. She wanted nothing more than to give him the appropriate response, the one which would make him happiest, but she had no clue what answers those were. The ones she’d been taught to use were not pleasing him, and she realized she didn’t know him very well at all.

He’d ask things like “Do you like animals?” and “What’s your favorite color?” And she’d try her hardest to think up answers but she’d never paid much mind to her own interests. They were distractions, things that would keep her from her goal. What her favorite color was would not help him stay alive. The first one of those mundane questions, she told him just that, but he got upset and insisted that she think about it. 

He still swore like she’d never heard before, and didn’t quite care about manners, and if he got on the topic of his father he’d get upset about it again, but...she did find herself enjoying their strange chats. She could not get used to it, of course. If his father explained it better than she could, and the prince chose to keep her, then he would most likely stop the idle chatter. No reason for him to make small talk with a tool, after all.

Eventually, he stopped walking completely, turning to look at her, “You hungry?” He asked.

“If you are hungry, I can find you some food,” She stated, rather than giving him an answer.

“Yeah, see, finding food isn’t the problem,” He pointed over his shoulder, where a wooden sign stood in a slight break in the trees quite a bit ahead of them, “I asked if  _ you _ are hungry. You do need to eat, you know, even if you think you’re a...tool, or whatever.” 

“Oh…” she should’ve noticed the sign, was her first thought. She knew there were restaurants in the world, but had been under the impression that they were few and far in between...her master would say that it wasn’t relevant to her training, probably, “I am hungry, yes. Will the place be safe?”

“It’s called the goddamn snuggly duckling, I really doubt there are any bloodthirsty thugs in there,” he scoffed, starting towards it. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's back! I had a plot idea for later chapters so I decided to go back to it and work on it more. This chapter has been done for a while, I just wanted to wait until I got further into the next chapter before posting it. Hopefully the inspiration for this fic keeps flowing, but if not then please be patient!


	4. The Snuggly Duckling

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Turns out, the Snuggly Duckling is full of bloodthirsty thugs. After a brief struggle, Peko gains their respect. Fuyuhiko lies about his identity, leaving his tool confused.

“It’s called the goddamn snuggly duckling, I really doubt there are any bloodthirsty thugs in there,” he scoffed, starting towards it. 

He was wrong. 

As soon as they entered the building, their mistake was made clear. Several scarred men, most of them much larger than Peko, turned to look at the pair. Any conversations the men had been having died off immediately as many of they stared. Every bone in her body begged Peko to grab her young master and run out the door, escape the threats before they could possibly have a chance to cause him any harm. She didn’t, though, because before she could completely process it Fuyuhiko was already walking further into the tavern. He appeared to be fearless as he took a seat at the bar, crossing his arms over his chest as he waited for the bartender to approach him.

She followed after, standing behind him as she kept an eye on as much of her surroundings as possible. Any of these men could threaten him at any moment, and so she needed to do her best to stay aware of their movements constantly. Her sword stayed by her side, her grip on the handle tight as the bartender turned to face them.  
The man was large, the sleeves on his shirt torn off to show his rippling muscles that he seemed to be flexing as he cleaned a glass. A scar went from one corner of his mouth up his cheek in a curve, creating a false one-sided smile even as the man scowled at Fuyuhiko. He was silent as he slowly moved towards the pair, not speaking until he stood right in front of them, looking down his nose at Peko’s young master.   
“What can I get for ya?” He asked, voice deep and rough. 

“Water, for both of us,” Fuyuhiko ordered, seemingly unbothered by the man’s threatening aura. He spoke with a commanding tone that reminded Peko of her master; brimming with confidence that nobody would dare to disobey him. 

The bartender was silent as he grabbed two clean glasses which thumped against the table as they were placed with more force than necessary. With his narrowed eyes focused on Fuyuhiko, the man grabbed a pitcher of water from the bar and poured some into each glass. Fuyuhiko took one of the cups, glancing back expectantly at Peko. She refused to sit or let down her guard, but she took the second cup and began sipping the water slowly, paying close attention to the taste just to be sure it was safe for him to drink.   
The rest of the guests were all still silent, and though Peko’s back was turned to them she was sure they were still staring. There was the sound of a chair being pushed back against the floor and Peko turned her head just the slightest bit to the side, watching from the corner of her eye as a thug with a hook for a hand and armor over one shoulder sauntered over to them. The man took the seat next to Fuyuhiko, causing Peko’s hair to stand on edge as she watched him closely.

“A beer for me,” he requested, quickly receiving a fresh bottle from the bartender.

That same silence as before filled the room once more, Peko, Fuyuhiko, and the hook-handed thug each sipping their drinks until the thug finally turned to glance at Peko’s young master.  
“So...what’re a couple capital brats doing in the middle of the forest without their parents?” He asked with a smirk. 

Peko was keenly aware of the way Fuyuhiko’s body stiffened. He sat up straight, turning in his chair as he slammed the half empty glass of water against the table. 

“Watch your fucking mouth, asshole. I’m a grown ass adult, I’m perfectly goddamn capable of walking through the forest without my goddamn  _ parents, _ ” he snapped, standing from his seat, “Do you even fucking know who I am?” 

The thug scowls back, standing from his own seat, “Oh sure, I know who you are. Who’s your dad, one of the king’s little noble buddies?” He let out a bark-like laugh as he leaned over Fuyuhiko, “You can handle the forest, huh? How about we teach you a l-” 

The man’s threat was cut off. His hook was against Fuyuhiko’s throat, but within half a second he found himself with Peko’s sword pressed against his neck.

“I suggest you rethink that,” she spoke for the first time since entering the tavern, her voice sharp as her blade, and she receives her answer in the form of a snarl.   
“Peko!” Fuyuhiko gasps, and Peko glances at him just to notice his eyes focused on something behind her.

The swordswoman turns her head just enough to see a thug with a knife approaching her. With one hand still holding the sword against the first threat’s throat, she grips one of her braids and flicks her wrist, whipping her hair out with precise aim and knocking the knife from the thug’s hand. Not a moment later, she flung her hair over Fuyuhiko’s shoulder, the end of her braid wrapping itself around the wrist of a thug that had been attempting to sneak up on them. 

“ _ Again, _ ” She started, turning back to glare at the first thug once more, putting a bit of pressure on her sword to give him a sense of urgency, “I urge you to rethink that.” 

There was no response for a moment, the thugs in the room stunned back to silence as the apparent leader of the group raised his hook in surrender. Only then did she lower her blade.

After a moment, the silence gave way to boisterous laughter, the hook-handed thug picking up his beer again to take a sip.

“Now, I sure as hell didn’t expect  _ that _ from you,” he grinned at Peko, “Still makes me wonder what a couple of kids from the city are doing in the middle of the forest.”

“Oh, I’m not-” Peko started to explain that she wasn’t from the city at all, but her young master spoke up, effectively silencing her.

“None of your business, we’re just traveling through. Now do you fuckers only serve drinks and beatdowns or can we get some actual goddamn food in this place?” He scowled, clearly not amused.

The bartender laughed, and before long the pair had plates in front of them. Peko stood as she ate, still watching the group of thugs even though the majority of them had gone back to their own conversations. Before long, Fuyuhiko paid for the meals and stood up, glancing out the front door as they prepared to leave. Peko followed his gaze as his eyes widened, noticing a small group of men wearing the royal insignia. She let out a sigh of relief, thankful that they would be able to have help returning to the palace, but Fuyuhiko turned away from the men abruptly.

“You got a back door or anything?” He asked the bartender, voice snappy but quieter than usual. 

“Why?” the bartender responded, raising an eyebrow as he looked out the front window, “Your family not on the king’s good side?” 

“Something like that,” Peko’s young master responded, causing her brows to furrow. She didn’t understand why he would lie about his position. It made no sense to her, wouldn’t the people like to know they were speaking to their beloved prince?

The bartender nodded in understanding, motioning for them to follow him to the end of the bar. He lifted a portion of the wood floor up, revealing a ladder that led down into a dimly lit passageway.

“It lets out half a mile off the main road, you two going to be able to find your way from there?” He asked as Fuyuhiko began to climb down.

“We’ll be fine. Just...if they ask, you haven’t seen me,” Fuyuhiko said as he reached the bottom. 

Peko began to climb down as well, holding her sword tightly with one hand as she used the other to maintain balance. She offered a quick thank you as she reached the bottom, just in time for the bartender to close the trap door. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't remember the last time I wrote a fight scene before this. I hope it turned out well but I'm too lazy to reread it, whoops.


	5. The Bandits

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Peko discovers why Fuyuhiko isn't too fond of revealing his identity to random thugs in the forest. A group of bandits discover that they've made a mistake.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Two chapters in two different stories? It must be somebody's birthday. (It's mine, but you're getting a present.)

Fuyuhiko took a torch from the wall of the narrow passageway, lighting the dirty floor just enough for them to see as he led the way down the winding path. At first, they remained silent, as though so much as a small noise would cause the dirt walls to collapse in on them. Peko’s mind was preoccupied, still trying to understand why her young master felt the need to lie about who he was. Surely, the men at the tavern would be disappointed to find out they missed the opportunity to bow to their prince. 

“Young Master,” she eventually spoke up.

“I told you not to call me that,” he answered with a huff as he turned a corner.

“I apologize,” she started, “I was wondering if you could explain something to me?”

“Depends on what it is, and if you’re ever going to stop using that stupid title.”

Peko nodded, remaining silent for a moment before speaking again, “I will do my best. My question is, why did you lie to them?”

“What, to the bloodthirsty fucking thugs that almost beat me up?” He scoffed, as though the answer should be the most obvious thing in the world.

“Yes. Why did you not simply tell them that you are the prince?” 

Fuyuhiko paused, looking back at Peko. The flame from the torch lit his face dramatically, the fire dancing in his eyes even as he looked at her with exasperation. Instead of answering, he asked another question in return.

“What exactly did my dad tell you, about the kingdom? And about how they feel about us?”

“This is the largest, most successful kingdom, which he said will one day rule all. He said that the people of the kingdom have vowed unending loyalty to the royal family, but he requested I still remain vigilant, in case someone grows jealous.”

Fuyuhiko rolled his eyes before turning forward again, continuing walking down the passageway, “The same shit he told me and Natsumi, then.”

“It is the truth, then?” She asked when he didn’t add more. 

“No. At least, not all of the truth.”

As he spoke, they turned another corner and found themselves a few yards from an opening in the tunnel, light filtering in through hanging vines that swung gently in the breeze. He picked up the pace, not giving Peko a chance to ask for clarification as he set the torch in an empty metal bracket along the wall then made his way out of the passageway. Peko followed, silent despite the new questions his response had given her.

“It doesn’t matter. Just...don’t tell anybody who I am, okay? If I want them to know, I’ll tell them myself,” he told her as he stopped in front of a tree. 

“Understood,” she nodded, looking around at their new surroundings.

The forest was similar enough to the one they had been walking along before, though the road here was narrower and bumpier than the main road. What worried her more was the way the sky was turning colors and the sun was starting to hide behind the trees. She feared they wouldn’t make it back to the palace before the sun would set, leaving them stranded at night in a forest full of strange creatures that could attack at any moment. 

Fuyuhiko glanced around too before starting to walk down the road, “I’m taking us the long way home. The main road is probably full of guards looking for me by now, and I’m not fucking dealing with a bunch of babysitters treating me like I’m incompetent.”

“Would it not be best to get you home sooner?” She asked, “The guards could help ensure you return home safely.”

“Yeah, well...they’ll also tell my father I was running around the forest with a strange girl, and I sort of want to keep you a secret from them. You still have a way out of this, you know. I’ll tell my dad I let you go and you can run away and go wherever you want.”

It made more sense when she realized he was doing it for her, though she didn’t understand why he was insisting that she should wish to leave. She still wanted to keep her vow, protect Fuyuhiko from any and all threats and be as useful a tool as possible. 

Before she could explain that to him, she noticed a pair of men coming out from the trees. Gripping her sword by her side, she took a step forward to stand between the men and the prince, earning a sigh from the latter.

“What’s this?” Asked the smaller of the pair, a handsome man wearing a smirk and a belt with several knives along it, “Don’t you two know there are bandits around here? You should be careful, you could get attacked any moment.”

“Especially considering how small you are. A man like myself could overpower both of you easily. Shouldn’t you have some guards with you or something?” Added the second, a muscular man much like the bartender, who laughed as he took another step towards the pair.

“Thankfully, you ran into us. We could protect you, you know,” The first one continued, “It would cost, but nothing is quite as valuable as your safety, is it?”

“I can fucking assure you, we don’t need your help,” Fuyuhiko scoffed, “Why don’t you go find somebody else to scam?”

“Ah, you don’t want our services, then?” The smaller man pulled a knife out of his belt, “That’s a shame, really.”

“As he said, we do not need your help,” Peko insists.

“Huh...what, are you supposed to be the guard?” Asks the man as he runs his finger along the knife blade, glancing at Peko’s sword, “And who’s he, then?”

“He looks familiar,” Hummed the larger man. Peko caught sight of it as he kept one hand by his side, making a motion with it that seemed to lead to another pair of people walking out from the treeline. 

“Who does he look like to you?” Asked one of the new people, a man with a head of black hair and a length of rope in his hands, “Looks like a noble to me, don’t you think? Probably worth a lot of money.”

“You’re an idiot,” scoffs the fourth member of the group, a middle aged woman with brown hair tied back who was idly swinging a small ax, “Looks to me like he’s the prince himself. What an honor, running into him in the middle of the forest...I wonder if the king knows he’s here.”

“Oh no, didn’t you hear? The prince disappeared after breakfast this morning. There’s guards all over the main road looking for him. I wonder how much of a... _ reward _ we would get for returning him.”

“Now, now,” the first one to speak laughed, “shouldn’t we all be bowing? It’s only polite to show some respect before we tie the boy up, don’t you think?”

“Of course, of course,” The woman curtsied with one hand, eyes remaining on Peko and Fuyuhiko.

Peko glared as she raised her sword to the man with the knife, assuming that he was the leader of the group, “You will not be tying him up.”

Fuyuhiko took a step back, glancing around for any other bandits hiding amongst the trees. If Peko was looking, she would notice the fear in his eyes. Peko showed off some skill before, sure, but she couldn’t possibly win against four bandits all on her own, he thought. He wanted to run, but he knew they were too far from the main road. There was no way he would reach the guards before the bandits caught him, even if Peko kept them preoccupied for a little while. 

“And who exactly are you, little girl? You ever heard of a haircut?” Asked the leader.

Peko did not give him an answer, instead lunging forward as she made a slicing motion with her sword. The man hopped back, just barely avoiding having his guts torn out. As he did, the larger man approached Peko from the side, ready to tackle her to the ground. The girl ducked down, kicking one leg out to hit the man in the shin, a loud curse ringing out as he reached down to grab her. She rolled out of the way, but the man managed to grip on of her braids, pulling roughly to force her to sit up.

Fuyuhiko watched with wide eyes as Peko dropped her sword, pulling back on her braid to try to free it from the man. The woman and the man with the rope approached Fuyuhiko then, moving slowly as though they were trying not to startle him. 

“Come on little prince, we’ll get you home nice and safe now,” the woman grinned, “Well, mostly safe at least.”

Fuyuhiko took another step back, falling back as he tripped over a root. He couldn’t help but think he’d been a fool, thinking that he could survive on his own in the world. Maybe his dad was right, maybe he  _ did _ need protection.

Peko just barely saw her young master fall from the corner of her eyes, but knowing he was in danger was all she needed to continue her fight. She reached for her sword again and swung it over her head, the very tip of the blade slicing a thin, shallow line across the large man’s neck. It wasn’t enough to stop him, the tank of a man simply growled and tugged harder, pulling Peko further forward. She pulled back as hard as she could, causing him to lose his balance, then kicked her leg under his to make him fall forward. Peko once again rolled out of the way, barely avoiding being trapped under him. Before he could react, she wrapped part of the braid he was holding around his neck and tugged, hard enough to cause him to gasp for breath. 

While he was struggling, she stood up, never loosening her braid around his neck. She stabbed her sword into the ground hard enough that it stayed standing when she let go, then took her other braid and whipped it towards the woman before she could take another step closer to Fuyuhiko. It wrapped around the woman’s wrist and when Peko tugged it back it caused the woman to drop her ax. 

“You will release us,” Peko ordered as the woman stared at her in shock. 

The woman scowled, reaching down with her free hand to pick her ax back up. She ran towards Peko, throwing the ax as she approached. Peko ducked just before it hit her, the weapon instead landing in a tree just behind her. The large man was out cold, so Peko released her grip on that braid in order to grab the ax. She tugged the woman forward and held the ax up right over the woman’s chest, pressing just enough to threaten a small cut.

“I do not wish to kill you, please do not force my hand,” Peko said as the woman’s eyes widened. When the woman made no move to attack, Peko tugged her braid to the side so she would fall to the ground beside the large man. 

It was then that Peko noticed the leader of the group was standing over Fuyuhiko, knife swinging down as the prince held a hand up to try to protect himself. Pulling her braids free, Peko grabbed her sword from the ground and began running towards Fuyuhiko, a weapon in each hand. The knife sliced the prince’s palm open before Peko could reach him, his pained scream ringing in her ears. 

Instead of going for the leader right away, Peko ran past him, throwing the ax into a tree as she tugged the rope from the hands of the remaining underling. Before the man could fight, Peko had pushed him to the ground, red eyes bright with fury as she held the tip of her blade over the man’s neck, close enough that when he gulped, it left a small scratch. 

“Run,” she insisted, pulling her sword away as she spun to face the leader, “And you, back away from him.”

The leader scoffed, but turned away from the prince in order to face Peko, “I should’ve taken care of you myself. Don’t worry sweetheart, I won’t hurt him too bad so long as he doesn’t fight back.  _ You,  _ on the other hand…”

As the leader lunged forward, Peko dropped her sword, holding the rope she’d stolen taut as she ducked below the man’s blade. She surged forward, headbutting him in the stomach before reaching above her head and grabbing his wrist, twisting it painfully and forcing him to drop his knife. She quickly wrapped the rope around that wrist, standing up straight as she forced his arm behind his back. As he screamed and reached for a knife with his free hand, Peko grabbed that wrist as well and pulled it to join the first. After tying his wrists together, she pushed him to the ground in front of Fuyuhiko and put her foot against his back. 

“You will apologize,” She demanded, “And you will not threaten him again.”

Fuyuhiko quickly stood up, holding his bleeding palm tightly in his free hand as he looked down at the bandit at his feet.

“Fuck--fine! I’m sorry!” The bandit gave in, bowing his head, “I’m sorry, your highness, I’ll--I won’t do it again!”

“You’re fucking right,” Fuyuhiko scowled, kicking the man’s shoulder, “I should have you all killed right now for that. That’s what my father would do, and I’m starting to think you  _ deserve _ it.”

“Please, have mercy on me. I swear I’ll never attack you or any member of the royal family again, just please don’t kill me,” The bandit begged, and Peko pressed harder on his back in response.

“Would you have me kill them, sir?” Peko asked. Whether she wanted to do it or not didn’t matter, she would obey his orders without question. All she needed was for him to say yes.

“...no. Leave them, but we take their weapons,” he decided after a moment.

Peko quickly gathered the knives from the leader, as well as the ax she’d taken from the woman. She also took a strip of cloth from the man with the rope and gave it to the prince, helping him wrap it tightly around his wound. 

The pair left the group of bandits on that road as they continued on their way as dusk overtook the sky, a full moon slowly rising.


End file.
